Beyond the Bassline – Bristol’s Black Music Legacy
With a small Beyond the Bassline exhibition appearing at Bristol Library this month, musician, senior lecturer in sociology at UWE Bristol and founder of PC-Press Pete Webb explores Bristol’s contribution to the story of Black British music
Back in the summer, Beyond the Bassline took over the British Library to document 500 years of Black British music. Curated by Steel Pulse founder Mykaell Riley, historian Aleema Gray and writer Paul Bradshaw, the exhibition set out to explore how Black British music, despite being marginalised, has shaped contemporary UK culture.
Bristol has played a huge part in this story. Despite its size, the city’s cultural diversity, independence and rebellious streak have created fertile ground for Black British music. But as Milo Johnson, founding member of the pioneering sound system The Wild Bunch, says, “Bristol rarely gets the recognition it deserves.”
Champion Sounds
The legacy of Bristol’s Black music scene is often reduced to a few big names — Smith & Mighty, Massive Attack, Tricky, Roni Size and Reprazent. But the story goes deeper, starting with the sound system culture of St Pauls and Easton, where the Windrush generation laid deep cultural roots.
“These sound systems played at blues parties in people’s basements and a few pubs,” explains sound system archivist Ashish Joshi, “because the Black community wasn’t welcomed or safe in the centre. They had to create their own entertainment.”
Early systems included Tarzan the High Priest (featuring Tricky’s grandfather), and later: Iquator, Bassi Sound, Enterprise Sound, Mabraka, Jah Lokko, Unique Star, and Imperial Force.
As Milo puts it: “The Black community had to make its own creativity bubble. This was resistance in itself. Music is like food — essential.”
Changing Tides – The Bamboo Club
One key venue helped bridge communities: The Bamboo Club, opened in 1966 by Tony Bullimore and his wife Lalel. It became a key hub for Bristol’s Jamaican and Black communities and hosted early UK shows by Bob Marley, John Holt, Dennis Brown, Desmond Dekker, and more.
“The Bamboo Club was iconic,” says Ashish. “Coaches came from all over England.”
By 1976, it was also hosting punk gigs — a shift that would influence Bristol’s hybrid, boundary-pushing music scene. “It set the wheels in motion for a new sound and mindset,” says Milo.
Culture Clash – The Pop Group and Punky Reggae
Bristol’s scene evolved as punk collided with reggae, soul and funk. Bands like The Pop Group, led by Mark Stewart, helped fuse leftfield punk with Black music influences. “Mark was someone we looked up to,” says Milo. “He’d been to the Roxy, he was part of the punk scene, but he clearly listened to Black music.”
Mark Stewart would later form Mark Stewart and the Maffia, blending punk and dub with hip-hop. Bands like Rip Rig + Panic, featuring Andi Oliver, Sean Oliver and Neneh Cherry, continued this fusion, which would eventually flow into the Wild Bunch, Massive Attack, Portishead, Roni Size and Tricky.
Legacy and the Next Generation
“Bristol owes it to the Black community to recognise their impact,” says Milo. “They made the city a place people want to be. That legacy needs to be remembered.”
Today’s scene is still innovative, even if it’s less directly representative of the Black community:
• Grove – a non-binary artist mixing dancehall, techno and noise
• DJ Kahn – known for blending dub, grime and digital dancehall
• Danielle – electro, techno, house DJ and label head (Soft Raw)
• Collectives like SoundGyal Saf, 2 Quid, Firmly Rooted, Bokeh Versions and Livity Sound continue to blur genres
Bristol’s multicultural music scene is still vibrant — a powerful reflection of what can happen when communities create together.
Beyond the Bassline was at Bristol Library until October 31 2024
Stray: An Autobiography of Milo Johnson is out now via Tangent Books. Link
HYPE MAN INTERVIEW
Sound system archivist Ashish Joshi on preserving reggae culture:
“I collect and archive old UK reggae sound system video and audio before it’s thrown away and lost forever. When I realised so little of the material from the 1980s and 1990s was being preserved, I made it my mission to archive it so the vibes from back in the day would exist beyond the hazy memories of old sound system pioneers.”
“Vintage audio and video material are time capsules that allow young people to experience what reggae sound system dances were like in the culture’s golden age. I love listening to Bristol’s Jah Lokko, Unique Star, Raiders 32, Bassi Sound, Mabraka, Iquator and Enterprise Sound.”
